Deprecated: Function set_magic_quotes_runtime() is deprecated in /home/tribe/pithyandcleaver.com/deepdark/wp-settings.php on line 18

Strict Standards: Declaration of Walker_Comment::start_lvl() should be compatible with Walker::start_lvl(&$output) in /home/tribe/pithyandcleaver.com/deepdark/wp-includes/comment-template.php on line 0

Strict Standards: Declaration of Walker_Comment::end_lvl() should be compatible with Walker::end_lvl(&$output) in /home/tribe/pithyandcleaver.com/deepdark/wp-includes/comment-template.php on line 0

Strict Standards: Declaration of Walker_Comment::start_el() should be compatible with Walker::start_el(&$output) in /home/tribe/pithyandcleaver.com/deepdark/wp-includes/comment-template.php on line 0

Strict Standards: Declaration of Walker_Comment::end_el() should be compatible with Walker::end_el(&$output) in /home/tribe/pithyandcleaver.com/deepdark/wp-includes/comment-template.php on line 0

Archived entries for ladyfingers

Everyone is writing about Twitter these days, perhaps because it’s really happening, or perhaps because everyone wants to figure out what the heck it’s good for. Quick answer: it’s great for wasting time. But I’ve also found that Twitter is a pretty interesting way to connect with people I may not have gotten to chat with otherwise, as well as a chance see a behind-the-scenes look at bloggers I admire. And it’s a useful forum for asking for advice on recipes and restaurants.

I was daydreaming about dessert when I asked my twitter-people (tweeps? Are we really calling them that?) whether they had any tips on tiramisu ingredients or technique. The kind person who contributes to Twitter for Everyday Foodmagazine responded, volunteeringan easy recipe for me to try. How cool! But to me, their recipe just isn’t the real thing. These days, mascarpone is easy enough to find (especially in New York) so there was no way I was substituting a bar of reduced-fat-cream cheese. I wanted to grate some nice dark chocolate into it, too, not just use cocoa powder. Instant espresso isn’t really my game (it just tastes off to me, even in baked goods) and the recipe didn’t call for any alcohol!
We here at Pithy and Cleaver don’t mind baking with booze. Shiv did invent a Mint Julep Pie, after all. I was further encouraged when I stopped at the farmer’s market for a bottle of fresh cream. The woman from Milk Thistle Farm who sold me a bottle of lovely heavy cream offered her advice: for that true sophisticated tiramisu taste, I should go to a nice liquor store and buy a decent bottle of marsala. It just wouldn’t be the same without it. “One last thing,” she warned. “Don’t soak the ladyfingers too long. And don’t overbeat the cream, it’s so full of milk fat, it will turn into butter.”

Trying not to think of the giant tub of near-butter I was about to serve my unsuspecting guests, I headed for the liquor store with a plan. For this grown-up tiramisu, there would be not one, but two kinds of booze. Good freshly whipped cream, good chocolate, real coffee (spiked with Kahlua!) and real mascarpone, with a touch of marsala. Decadent, for sure.

This is the perfect dessert for company, since it requires no oven and must be assembled a few hours ahead. It’s dramatic looking—your guests will be so impressed, they cannot imagine what a breeze it was to put together. It’s rich, but not cloying. Traditionally, tiramisu has raw egg yolks in it, but this nearly-eggless version is worry-free. (If you’re allergic to eggs, you’ll need to find an eggless version of savoiardi, but if you’re just nervous about raw eggs, like me, then this recipe is perfect.) Don’t be scared of all the alcohol, the taste is just sophisticated, not too potent.